JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — For a moment Tiger Woods thought he was the great Tiger Woods again, ready to conquer another major and stick it to those who thought he’d never be what he once was.
After rolling three birdies over his first five holes of the 93rd PGA Championship yesterday at the Atlanta Athletic Club, Woods thought he had found his game again. His swing was sound, his rhythm was good, his mind and body were in sync.
He was atop the leaderboard at 3-under par enjoying the kind of start that usually ended in a special day and eventually a special tournament. But the glorious beginning would end up being a disastrous round: an unsightly 7-over-par 77 that threatens his chances of even making the cut today.
“I’m not down. I’m really angry right now,” Woods said. “There’s a lot of words I could use beyond that.”
His meltdown yesterday was just the latest setback in his attempt to regain the form that won him 14 major championships. It also put him in danger of becoming an afterthought in golf — not just this week but for the rest of the year. That’s where he’s headed. Watching a train wreck gets old after a while.
As Woods began to tumble down the leaderboard, often landing in more sand than grass, the galleries that followed him began to thin. There was a time when fans would be two and three deep trying to follow him. Your best chance to get against the ropes would be the jump a hole or two ahead and wait. But by the time he took double-bogey yesterday at the par-4 6th hole, where he drove his ball into a fairway bunker and then hit his second shot in the water, the gallery was cheering louder for playing partner Davis Love III (2-under) than for Woods.
Playing in his first major since the Masters and all the controversy surrounding the comments made by his former caddie, Steve Williams, put Woods in a familiar spotlight for most of the week. At his press conference Wednesday, the security was extra tight as media members had their credentials re-inspected before entering the interview room. It seems much ado about nothing after Woods’ performance yesterday. He’s just another golfer now. And not a very good one either.
Steve Stricker tied a major championship record by shooting a 7-under-par 63. Rory McIlroy bravely fought through a wrist injury to complete his round. If you wanted to watch good golf, there was no need to watch Woods.
Woods was only blaming himself. He said he felt so good after five holes, he thought he could “start letting it go” and “play by instinct and feel.” It was a decision he would regret. “I screwed up my whole round,” he said. “I’m not at the point I can do that yet.”
Yet, that’s really the only way Woods will win again. The robotic, mechanical player he has become might be good for a few holes, but hasn’t held up any better than the Woods who tried to play on instinct yesterday. At this point, he looks lost.
His unraveling began at the 253-yard par-3 15th, Woods’ sixth hole of the day after starting on the back nine with birdies at the par-4 10th, the par-5 12th and the par-4 14th. He would push a 4-iron way right, the ball splashing into the pond that guards the green. He took double bogey there. Soon he was in free-fall, playing holes 15 through 6 in 9-over par.
“I’m in a major championship,” Woods said. “It’s time to score, time to play and time to let it go.” The great Tiger Woods would have done that, but this Tiger Woods is wasting our time and attention.
george.willis@nypost.com